


I'll Take Her

by HilsonMarveyTibbs



Category: NCIS
Genre: Emotional Hurt, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pet, Tony missing Kate, goldfish, oh my god he has a goldfish named Kate, somewhat tag to "You Better Watch Out"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-07
Updated: 2013-01-07
Packaged: 2017-11-24 00:21:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/628153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HilsonMarveyTibbs/pseuds/HilsonMarveyTibbs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In "You Better Watch Out" we found out that Tony has a goldfish named Kate. This is how he may have come to buy/name his goldfish. No spoilers or warnings, just adorable Tony-ness. Hope you enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Take Her

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey, people. I know I haven't updated my other two fics in a while, and I apologize, but I have some severe writer's block with them right now...Anyway, I started doing a 30 Day Fic Challenge with the wonderful PrettyBoyAngel, and the prompt for the second day was "getting a pet". So, in light of the last new episode I wanted to write a little ficlet about Tony deciding to buy Kate. The fish.
> 
> Takes place some time after Twilight, so spoilers for that.
> 
> Please review or favorite if you like it! :) Hope you enjoy!

Tony stepped into the brightly lit store, hitting almost a physical wall of sound. A cacophony of noises assaulted his ears as the various living things in the store made their presence known. The entire left wall of the rectangular room was made up of dozens of tanks filled with more types of fish than Tony had ever seen. Half of the right wall was a cashier station while the other half was covered in toys and supplies needed for caring for any type of pet. The middle and back of the store held a variety of cages and creatures available for patrons to observe and, if their hands were small enough, pet them.

There was also a small room available for people to interact with their potential pets, but Tony knew that he wouldn't be using the room. He was looking for a more antisocial pet, not something that would greet him when he came home, even though the idea was minutely appealing.

Tony figured he must have looked like a fish out of water, because barely a minute after having entered the pet store, a clerk approached him.

"My name's Jamie, can I help you with anything?" The enthusiastic employee addressed him. She was young, late twenties; she had bleach blonde hair and kept flipping her hair back as she waited for reply. A few years prior, Tony would have been shamelessly flirting with her already, but not anymore. Not so soon after Kate. So, Tony ignored her as she bit her lip and fluttered her ridiculously long eyelashes, carelessly throwing herself at him despite being a complete stranger, and instead focused on her question.

"Uh, I'm looking for a pet. Not a dog or a cat, I know that much, but something that would be easy to take care of despite not being around that much each day. Do you have any recommendations, 'cause I was thinking a fish, but I wasn't sure."

Jamie's brow furrowed slightly, resolve lessening as she assumed he must be antisocial or a workaholic. She recomposed herself quickly, though, placing one hand on his exposed forearm to guide him to the fish wall. She gestured to the fish and to a few other cases beside them which contained multiple types of reptiles and amphibians.

"These pets require the least care, and can go longer without food and interaction. Now, I have never had any reptiles or anything, but I once owned a goldfish and I can tell you this: they don't require much work at all." She smiled at him, obviously still interested in him, but Tony turned to the fish wall in lieu of replying right away.

There were over a hundred fish in the large wall of tanks. Some were long and snake-looking, others were tiny and almost circular. Jamie had said goldfish, and he knew a lot of children took care of those without much trouble. He scanned a few tanks for one before he gave up and simply asked if she could direct him to one.

"We actually have a whole tank full of them near the bottom." She indicated one of the low-level cases, both of them crouching down for a better view. "We keep them near the bottom so the smaller children can see them easier."

Tony nodded, entranced by the goldfishes' sporadic movements. There were so many of them, he'd just ask for one of them and let Jamie pick.

When he said as much, she replied, "There's actually one that's been here a little while and she is always fighting with the other fish. I watch her sometimes, I've even named her. And she's very feisty, if you're into girls like that." She was looking at him suggestively, voice lowering as she spoke.

Tony continued to ignore her advances and thought about what she'd said. Feisty, huh? He did love a feisty female. Kate could testify to that.

"What'd you name her?" He asked, easily spotting the fish she was talking about. Didn't they have almost nonexistent memories? Then why is she so aggressive?

"Kate." The single word takes Tony's breath away, because he knows now that he was meant to get her. The real Kate was the reason he was here after all. She had just passed a few months ago, and Tony had not been handling it well at all. He needed something to take care of; to ground him. That's why he needed a pet.

"I'll take her."


End file.
